As Sean drove, Molly keyed in a quick coded report from her Blackberry and sent it. Halverson escorted them to a modest two-story house on a large, fenced lot with goats running free. Outside, a burly man with a long white beard was chopping wood. He stopped chopping and waved, then opened a gate. Halverson took off.

When they pulled their car up, the man extended his big paw. "Jake Teller."

Sean put out his hand. "Pat Brogan. This is Mary."

Molly smiled and waved. "Hi."

"You best get what you care about out of the car. Some Mexican boys here been hopping the fences and doing car break-ins."

"You don't have security?"

Jake nodded, pointing to two large German Shepherds carefully watching them from behind a parked truck, eyes riveted to every move. "Best not to leave temptation. They're just hungry boys improving but they can do it honest."

Sean nodded and unlocked the trunk, taking a rifle case, groceries and two large bags. Molly took two smaller packs and grabbed her wedding album and the glove compartment gun and locked up.

Inside it was a magazine picture of the happy American home. A roaring fire was going in the fireplace. A model white haired grandmother was in the kitchen. She smiled. "Welcome, welcome. I am Ruth. Welcome to our home."

Molly smiled. "I'm Mary. Would you like any help in the kitchen?"

"Oh you just get yourselves settled in and freshened up. Through the hall, second room on the right. I have a couple of roasts on."

As Molly took the luggage to their room, Sean put the grocery bag down on the counter. "I'm Pat. I bring offerings." He took out two dozen eggs and ten-pound slab of cow.

"Oh that's so lovely. Thank you."

Jake smiled. "Thank you. It's so hard to improve on Social Security and a miner's pension."

Sean nodded. "I'm sure. Sheriff Halverson said $40 for the night?"

Ruth smiled. "By the night. But if you two want to stay longer we would love to give you a real good rate. Four hundred a month. Cheaper than an apartment and it's a nice home atmosphere."

Molly returned, matching Ruth's smile. "That would be wonderful. What do you think, Honey?"

Sean shrugged. "We'll have to find work, but yeah it beats running from the Nazis."

She kissed Sean, long and hard. It was easy to play the part because the feelings were so close to true. "Thank you. I've never felt more at home any place. This is where I want to have our baby."

"Oh Goodie," Ruth said, clapping. "How far along are you?"

Sean squeezed her hand. "We're not yet. But …"

Molly remembered what Libby Drennen said and let it come out naturally. "We didn't want children of our own before. But ever since we improved, I have just wanted to have Pat's baby more than anything. It's like a hunger, I feel myself holding our child and giving it life from my breasts."

"Oh, that's so sweet. This is a good town. Pat, we were told you were a policeman. What do you do, Mary?"

"I was a schoolteacher."

"Oh they're always looking for good teachers."

Jake looked Sean firmly in the eye. "County Sheriffs can use you. And there's security at the casino or prison guard until get on there."